Earth auger and groover



June 27, 1950- H. w. NISSEN 2,512,803

' EARTH AUGER AND GROOVER Filed Jan. 28, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I Herman W. Nissan 1 mg y awn Wave 3M June 27, 1950 w, mss 2,512,808

EARTH AUGER AND GROOVER Filed Jan. 28, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 e; a2 64 t --50 74 8 Fi .5. 60 J I g 62 n90 0 o a 30 3 28 Inventor Herman W Nissen Fig. 4

Patented June 27, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EARTH AUGER AND GROOVER Herman W. Nissen, Pipestone, Minn.

Application January 28, 1947, Serial No. 724,758

' a 1 Claim. (01. 25565) This invention relates generally to manually operated earth boring augers, and more particularly to an earth auger having a groover incorporated therewith whereby a laterally disposed groove or undercut is formed, to facilitate the formation of laterally extending shoulder portions in a mass of concrete placed in the hole to anchor the lower end of a post.

It is well understood that the use of concrete to anchor the lower ends of posts in post holes is not new, nor is it new to provide undercuts in the bored hole to form shoulders on the concrete mass, the present invention residing in improved means, in combination with an earth auger, to form this undercut in a more expeditious manner.

It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide an earth auger with a grooving device which can be incorporated with the auger and adjusted to operative or inoperative position by a manual control positioned on the handle portion of the auger.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of this character with manual control means whereby the depth of the undercut may be conveniently regulated.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a device of this character with an improved form of undercutting blades.

A still further object is to provide a device of this character'which is not unduly heavy or unwieldy.

And a last object to be specifically mentioned is to provide a combined tool of this character which is inexpensive and practicable to manufacture, extremely simple to use, and which is of sufficiently sturdy construction to provide for generally efficient and durable service.

With these and other objects definitely in view, this. invention resides in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions as will be hereinafter described in detail and particularly set forth in the appended claim, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which form a material part of this application, and in which:

Figure l is a side elevational view of the assembled tool, the handle portions being broken and fore-shortened to conserve space;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view of the upper portion of the handle and the manual groover control;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view of a post anchored according to this invention in a mass of concrete;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view of the lower portion of the auger and groover, and representing the same structure as that shown in Figure '1 but turned through an angle of 90 degrees about the vertical axis of the Figure 5 is an elevational view of the auger and'groover in a hole bored in the earth by the auger and with the groover retracted or in inoperative position, and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view of the lower end of this device with the auger blades removed and a bucket member secured in the place thereof, to facilitate the removal of the loose earth displaced by the groover.

Similar characters of reference designate similar or identical parts and portions throughout the specification and throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be noted that this invention includes an elongated shaft It having a T-member l2 and acrosshandle M at the upper end of said shaft and adapted'to be grasped by the hands of the operator. The lower end of the handle I0 is equipped with a metal ferrule member I6, having diametrically disposed supporting flanges l8, and a sliding cross arm 20 having a depending portion 22 terminatingin an attachment flange 24 whereon an auger blade 261s secured according to conventional practice. This blade is arcuate at the lower end and may be sharpened and bifurcated as indicated at 28.

A similar blade 30 may be similarly secured to the depending portion 32 of a cross arm 3i. In order that the auger be made adjustable as to efiective diameter the cross arms 20 and 34 are slidably mounted on the lower portion 36 of the flanged member l8, this member 38 being centrally apertured and the arms 20 and 34 each having a plurality of spaced apertures 38 to allow the insertion of a bolt 40, the drawings illustrating an auger adjustable to three different diam-- eters.

The groover mechanism is mounted on an attachment plate 42 which is firmly mounted on the shaft ill by means of a pair of U-bolts 44 and E5, the lower U-bolt 48 being positioned on the shaft li'l so as to abut the upper end of the ferrule member 56, this upper end being preferably formed with a collar 48. The attachment plate 42 has a pair of parallel flange plates 59 and 52 designed to define a channel for the slidable mounting therein of the groover plate 54 which is generally rectangular but provided with an acute angled upper plate 56 longer than the lower flange plate 52 in order that the extended corner 56 of the groover blade be given maximum supports.

Linea-r deformations which may take the form of a rack or row of spaced apertures 58*are formed in the groover plate 54 and ageadapted; taregis ter with the pinion E0, the teeth of which are arcuate in order that they may be self-cleaning and will not become clogged with earth and in order thatthe teeth will; coact; with the; groover plate and. flanges. 52: and 5,6 to prevent binding. Thispinion. fiitissecured by; a set screw. 62- tothe lower-end of a shaft 64, disposed in spaced parallel: relation with the shaft [B2 and secured at the lower end thereof in a bearing member 65?, which may be. integral; with. or supported on. a flange. (it; on the member 52. A. key 10: may beprovided: in: thalovrer ended the shaft 64.to f.ur-. ther secure this portion ofthe assembly.

The u-pper endof the-shaftfidiismountedzin an apertured flange 1 2: secured by a. Ur-bolt T4 to the shaft L; and: a. handawheel l6; issecured by; a nut iihorrthe. upper end. of: the shaft 54.; to pro-, vide for the manual control of the; shaft 84. The hand-.whe ele 1.5.- may; be further.- secured: against rotation. relative: to. the; shaft .4- bva. transversely disposed key 88:, as: indicated: inFigurez 2. The lower end of the hand-wheel 1B is: provided: with ratchet, teeth 82, and aspring: loaded locking key 845-: is mounted: in! arsleeve 86. which may be integrally formed on the upper portion. of the angle flange-plate.- ii; theinner end of'thelocking; key Szlibeing adaptedtoengage theteeth 82: toretain the. shaft; 64: againstlrotation after the required adjustment thereof has been made.

The? operation of. this device will be obvious from a; consideration of the foregoing. description of the mechanical details. thereof; but. if refer-. ence be now.- had toEigure Saitmay-be welltonote thata hole ildzisufirstbored in the earth. 9.0lto the desired depth. after which: the hand wheel 1.6 is turned with the locking key 84 released; tolextend thegrooving blade 54;, and the-toolv is againlrotatively operated to cut. a groove 92,1aterally: of the hole 88;. The; hand-wheel 16-. will,. of course, be gradually turned in order that: theblade 54. can be progressively extended until, av groove of; sufficient depth has been formed. If, preferred; a bucket; formed: in two. sections 9,4. and. 9.6, as illustrated. in Figure. 6, may be usedto gather the loosened earth resulting from the formation of the groove 92. These complementary sections 94 and 96 may be secured to attaching flanges 24 in the same manner as the auger blades 26 and 30, and it is preferred that the bottom portions 98 should be substantially flat and, of course, semicircular, and it will be noted that the section 94 is made of a greater diameter than the section to flt over the latter and allow for adjustment as to size of the bucket member, in the same manner as the auger adjusted as to effective diameter. When thel loosened earth has; beenremoved, a mass ofsemi-fluid concrete is poured into the hole 88., and the end of the post I00, preferably notched as at I02 is inserted into the semi-fluid concrete which, will take the angular form shown at I04. Another method entails less diiflculty in the insertionof the post I00 and comprises an altera- 31911111191 thaorderof procedure in which the post I00 is first placed in the hole 88 and the semifluid concrete is then poured into the hole. In either case the concrete will be made to completelyfill the groove; 92 and tosurround the lower end; portion. of the post m0 and; on hardening ill providelsecure. anchora e; for; this. post,

' Though therezhaslbeenshown a particular embodiment-of this inventionhthis application isnot limited to. this particular embodiment, but it is desired toinclude. in the sQQEe-of this invention the construction, combination and arrangement oft parts and portions. substantially as set forth in thelappended; claim.

Havin thus descni ed; my nvent o hat is olaimedlasnew. and: desired-tube; secured by Lettars; Patent: is:;

The combination. Qfi an earth. auger having a shaft, cutting bladesandza handig; With, a-groover mechanism comprising a channeled guide-member. having upperand lowerflange plates perpendicularly. secured to: said shaft above sa blade a. grower plate slidabliz' mounted in saidg uide-and having horizontallyaligned; apertures defining a rack, a second: shaft rotatably mounted on. said guide at its lower end and on said auger shaft at itsuppen end; a. hand; wheel on. the upper. end of saidsecond shaft: adj acentsaid; handle, and a pinionsecured to the lower end of. said second shaft and having teeth. with substantially semicircular vertical faces to lessen. the binding of said groover plate in. said guide and engaging said rack, whereby said groover plate may be moved later-ally.

HERMAN. W; NISSEN.

EEEEBE Q ED The following references are of: record in the file of? this patent:

TATES A'IEN 

